Briggs

An unfortunate loss of a good joke: leftist thinking finally overtakes math parody

There was an old, and sadly funny joke about the Evolution of Math Quizzes that went like this: 1960s A logger cuts and sells a truckload of lumber for $100.…

Statistics

Don Imus sidekick makes a point with a failed joke

Just heard Don Imus, who was attempting to explain why he wasn't being sarcastic when he said "At least [George Bush] did something right" because we have not been attacked…

Statistics

A safe, but misleading, prediction about global warming

Reuters's, on 3 January, had this headline, "2008 to be in top 10 warmest years say forecasters." A quote: 2008 will be slightly cooler than recent years globally but will…

Statistics

Asinine comparison of holocaust deniers and honest scientists

Some guy named Joel Connelly at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has written another one of those "We must do something now" global warming articles. What makes his piece distinct is that…

Philosophy

Mr. Word’s definition of the day: to change

"To alter; to make different; to cause to pass from one state to another; as, to change the position, character, or appearance of a thing; to change the countenance." --…

Statistics

How much does winning Iowa and New Hampshire help?

On the earlier poll thread, a reader asked "What's your opinion about the statistical summary of past results of Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primaries?" pointing out data from Neatorama.com.…

Fun

Mr. Word’s definition of the day: to gush

"To make a sentimental or untimely exhibition of affection; to display enthusiasm in a silly, demonstrative manner." -- Webster, 1913. For example, this snippet from today's New York Times editorial.…

Statistics

73.2% of Likely Voters Believe Poll Results

Pollster: Who will you vote for? Civilian: Oh, I don't know; that guy, the tall one. Pollster: I'll put you down for Obama. The elections in Iowa are over and…

dadgervais on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 8, 2026
As I (computer engineer, retired) have always maintained: people who believe in mechanical inteligence suffer from "Clever Hans Syndrome". A…
NLR on Richard Dawkins, The Big Muscles Fallacy & AI PachinkoMay 7, 2026
It appears that Dawkins does not have a well thought out philosophy of consciousness and so he has psyched himself…
jgh on The Red-Blue Button Dilemma & Its Surprising AnswerMay 7, 2026
There's an episode of Golden Balls where one contentant understood how The Prisoners' Dilemma worked and succcessfully tricked his opponent…
Johnno on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
Hence we descriptively say in plural... a "calamity of victims." Or a "catastrophe of Expurts." Or an "academy of failures."…
Brian (bulaoren) on How Experts Use “Calamities” to Find Official Victims & Gain PowerMay 6, 2026
So, three circumlocutors walk into a bar...